Central Committee, Communist Party of the Philippines
July 1992

The Rectification Movement

It is a matter of life and death for the entire Party now to reaffirm its basic principles, assert its correct line and criticize, repudiate and rectify those major deviations and errors which have run for so long (overlapping with half of the existence of the Party and the armed revolution) and have brought about unprecedented setbacks to the Party, the New People's Army and the entire revolutionary mass movement.

These major deviations and errors could have been more destructive were it not for the perseverance of the overwhelming majority of Party cadres and members who uphold the basic principles of the Party and are determined to carry the revolutionary cause forward. Thus, we think that the Party has the principles, the revolutionary personnel, the mass support and the all-rounded strength to check and overcome the dangerous trend brought about by the major deviations and errors.

In the light of our basic principles, we have identified and evaluated the major deviations and errors and the serious damage to the Party and the revolutionary movement. We must criticize, repudiate and rectify these. The rectification movement should raise the Party's level of theoretical knowledge, political consciousness and practical activity. The Party membership should be mobilized to join and support this movement. Only those who oppose this movement and who are incorrigible should come under disciplinary action, up to removal from the Party. There is a big and essential difference between the incorrigible and those who are willing to rectify their errors.

It is important for the appropriate organ to formulate the most pointed questions on facts and issues to be posed to those responsible for the most serious deviations, errors and adverse consequences and to be answered by them individually (if collectively, there will be difficulties that can delay the process either because it is objectively difficult to convene the pertinent collective responsible for some error or there is no desire on the part of certain individuals to make any collective assessment). Only after the inquiry from individuals concerned may their collectives be convened, if necessary and possible.

We anticipate that there will be elements who will oppose or deflect the rectification movement by using the following tactics:

1. Continuing to question and attack the Party's basic principles no less in order to dogmatically insist on the erroneous line;

2. Detaching the erroneous line from the serious adverse consequences;

3. Confusing the evaluation of the deviations and errors by playing down bigger errors and playing up lesser ones;

4. Confusing the evaluation of collective and individual responsibilities;

5. Generating new and old issues of lesser importance and relevance to the major problems and unprecedented setbacks that we now face;

6. Retaliating against well-founded criticism by making unfounded attacks; and

7. Attacking the many in order to conceal a few in error.

At every level of the Party, in any organ, the central leadership must not hesitate to remove from the Party any element who is responsible for any major deviation or error but who instead of accepting responsibility continues to systematically attack the Party's line or is incorrigible and resorts to any of the aforesaid tactics to deflect or defeat the purpose of the rectification process. We must also serve serious warning to those elements who resort to ultrademocracy by campaigning outside of the appropriate Party channels or going beyond the bounds of the Party.

It is a fair estimate to make that only a few will be removed from the Party due to the gravity of the error for which they are responsible or due to a loss of conviction in the revolutionary cause and in the basic principles of the Party. In this regard, the slogan of the Party is "A bit fewer but a lot better", to paraphrase Lenin and Mao.

There may be those who are no longer fit to remain in the Party for ideological reasons, such as the loss of conviction in all or any of the basic principles of the Party. They can be considered allies if they can still cooperate with us on political issues, provided they do not become special agents of the enemy by attacking the Party and capitalizing on their previous association with or inside knowledge of the Party.

The rectification movement is mainly and essentially an educational effort to recognize, criticize and repudiate the deviations, errors and weaknesses and thereby further strengthen the Party and the revolutionary movement. The objective is to bring about a higher level of revolutionary consciousness and militance and therefore a higher level of unity within the Party.

The overwhelming majority of Party members are definitely good and desire to do their best in advancing the revolutionary cause. There can only be a handful of elements who oppose the rectification movement and who refuse to rectify their errors. If these elements persist in the Party, they can continue to inflict damage on the Party and the revolutionary movement. It is the duty of all Party members to reaffirm the basic principles of the Party and rectify the errors.